#57 The Sand Will Rise!

Mufasa felt the black tendrils of Earth Grudge Fear writhing around his fingertips, pulsating with a strange, organic rhythm.

Through his chakra-sensitive perception, he could tell—it wasn’t just some lifeless jutsu. It was alive.

The tendrils coiled instinctively, drawn to his chakra like a starving creature sniffing out a meal. He allowed a small pulse of chakra to seep out.

For a moment, the tendrils eagerly absorbed it. Then, as if realizing something was off, they shriveled, drying out almost instantly, before crumbling to dust and falling from his fingers.

Across from him, Orochimaru and Kakuzu observed in silence.

Kakuzu had already succumbed to Mufasa’s overwhelming presence and financial persuasion, yet he still scoffed.

“I told you, Kazekage. Only I can wield Earth Grudge Fear. It’s useless to anyone else.”

Orochimaru examined the withered remnants with mild disinterest. “It’s nothing more than a life-sustaining organism,” he mused. “A crude method of longevity at best.”

Orochimaru, being the pioneer of body-swapping techniques, had little interest in something so rudimentary. In his eyes, Earth Grudge Fear was primitive compared to his own research on immortality.

Mufasa didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Kakuzu. “Give me more samples.”

Kakuzu extended his arm, and from the seams in his skin, thick black tendrils slithered out, wriggling in the air.

“The second batch will cost you two million,” Kakuzu smirked.

Mufasa took the samples without hesitation, feeling the texture against his skin again.

Yes. It was exactly as he suspected.

The shinobi of Takigakure had misunderstood what they had discovered when they first unearthed this ability. They had called it a forbidden jutsu, believing it to be a technique of the underworld. But in reality, it wasn’t a jutsu at all.

It was a lifeform.

A symbiotic organism.

Mufasa’s eyes gleamed with realization. He turned to Orochimaru. “You misjudged it.”

Orochimaru arched a brow. “Oh?”

“It’s not just a tool for sustaining life—it’s a living entity.”

Kakuzu scoffed. “It moves like flesh and blood, but that doesn’t make it alive.”

Orochimaru added, “There’s no intelligence, no sentience. It simply reacts.”

Mufasa shook his head. “Not all living things need intelligence. This creature—this ‘symbiote’—forms a parasitic bond with a host. Advanced symbiotes are even sentient, capable of enhancing their host in ways beyond natural limitations. They are neither jutsu nor spirit—just life in a different form.”

To emphasize his point, Mufasa channeled his electromagnetic chakra, broadcasting an image onto a nearby metal surface. A visual flickered to life, showing a writhing, liquid-like entity—a creature from another world, something akin to a living weapon, a being that could bond with a host and unlock unimaginable power.

Orochimaru’s golden eyes widened with fascination. “This is incredible…” he murmured. “A lifeform that merges completely with its host… far superior to a mere summon or an engineered body…”

Kakuzu stared at the image, his usual indifference wavering. He had spent decades with Earth Grudge Fear fused into his body, yet he had never questioned what it truly was. “You’re saying I’ve been bonded with something like that?”

Mufasa smirked. “You didn’t tame Earth Grudge Fear. It chose you. You’re just lucky it wasn’t advanced enough to override your will.”

Orochimaru’s fingers twitched in excitement. “If we could refine it—give it intelligence, or integrate it into other shinobi—imagine the possibilities.”

Kakuzu frowned. “It dies when separated from me. It has no mind of its own.”

Mufasa nodded. “It’s incomplete. Either it was damaged when it arrived in this world, or it was never meant to function independently.”

“Arrived?” Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. “What are you implying?”

Mufasa ignored the question. Instead, he turned to Orochimaru. “Do you remember the concept we discussed? Merging metal and biological components?”

Orochimaru’s lips curled into a delighted grin. “Oh, I remember.”

“This,” Mufasa gestured at the writhing black tendrils, “is the missing link. It can repair, it can grow, and it can evolve. If we integrate it with metal and chakra-conductive materials, we might be able to create a true hybrid—something beyond flesh and steel.”

“A perfect organism,” Orochimaru whispered, almost in reverence.

Kakuzu exhaled slowly, as if processing what this meant. Then, he chuckled. “You want me to be your test subject, don’t you?”

Orochimaru’s gaze flickered to him, filled with the unmistakable hunger of a scientist wanting to dissect his latest experiment.

Kakuzu wasn’t foolish enough to miss that look.

“I wouldn’t resist,” he said smoothly. “But my cooperation comes at a price.”

Mufasa laughed. “Oh, Kakuzu, money is the cheapest thing in this world.”

Kakuzu’s masked face turned toward him. “Then what’s the most expensive?”

Mufasa’s smirk deepened. “Freedom.”

Kakuzu was silent for a long moment. His green eyes, visible through his mask, stared at Mufasa, calculating.

Finally, he spoke. “And how much is freedom worth?”

Mufasa’s voice was calm. “Priceless.”

Kakuzu didn’t reply, but the silence held more weight than words.

Mufasa turned back to Orochimaru. “I want results. If we can integrate these symbiotes with our taijutsu specialists, they’ll become nearly unkillable. Broken bones, lost limbs, even damaged organs—it won’t matter.”

Orochimaru’s excitement faltered slightly. “I’ll need more researchers.”

Mufasa chuckled. “You always say that.”

He was the kind of leader who set impossible goals, sketched out grand designs, and left the details to those beneath him. Orochimaru and his researchers were already overworked, pushing the boundaries of science with barely any rest.

And now, he had just thrown an entirely new field of research onto their plates.

Orochimaru sighed, rubbing his temples. “You do realize that progress takes time, my lord?”

Mufasa smirked. “Then I suggest you stop talking and get to work.”

Mufasa led Orochimaru through the dimly lit forest, where rows of chakra storage devices were carefully arranged. The occasional rustling of leaves was interrupted by the soft footsteps of staff members dressed in white. They moved with precision, retrieving storage units and replacing them with fresh ones brought in from outside.

Orochimaru’s golden eyes flickered with curiosity as he examined the devices, noting the meticulous labels attached to each one. They bore inscriptions of origin—nation, village, name, age, ninja rank, and other relevant details.

"This is?" Orochimaru asked, intrigued.

Mufasa’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "The Chakra Registration Bureau’s archives."

Beyond the standard ninja registration information—name, address, nationality, and mission records—each entry included a critical element: chakra identification. Officially, this system was designed to aid in identifying shinobi and tracking criminals. In reality, all chakra samples were stored here for research.

Orochimaru’s brow furrowed. "Why go to such lengths? Chakra isn’t like a rare resource—it’s as natural as breathing to us." He gestured dismissively toward the storage units. "Besides, why bother with these subpar chakra samples? Most of them belong to mere Genin and Chunin. Hardly worth studying."

Mufasa chuckled. "Tell me, Orochimaru, what do you think chakra is?"

The question was almost too simple. Without hesitation, Orochimaru recited what every shinobi knew. "Chakra is formed by combining one’s physical and spiritual energy. Sage chakra incorporates natural energy from the environment."

"And the source of chakra?" Mufasa prompted further.

Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, considering. "The Sage of the Six Paths, of course."

"And where did his chakra come from?" Mufasa asked, his tone unwavering.

Silence.

Orochimaru had never truly questioned that before.

Their slow steps finally brought them to the heart of the facility—a grand hall lined with ten towering chakra storage units that stretched to the ceiling. Each one bore the name of a tailed beast, from One-Tail to Ten-Tails. Through the reinforced glass, Orochimaru could see the swirling mass of energy within. The One-Tail’s chakra was completely stored, while the Four-Tails' chamber was more than halfway filled.

Realization dawned upon Orochimaru. "So this is where the extracted Four-Tails’ chakra was sent."

But the greater question remained. "My lord, are you… trying to create the Ten-Tails?"

Mufasa smirked. "You still have that Gedō Mazō blueprint you stole from the Akatsuki, right?"

Orochimaru nodded. It had been one of his more valuable acquisitions.

"Then start constructing it here when you have time," Mufasa instructed. "I've already prepared a space for it."

Orochimaru felt a thrill rush through him. "You intend to use the tailed beasts as weapons?" he guessed.

Mufasa shook his head, his gaze lifting toward the cold, metallic ceiling. It was as if he were staring beyond it, past the sky itself.

"Weapons? That would be a waste of potential," he said lightly. "Tailed beasts are powerful to the average person, but to me, they’re nothing more than research material."

Orochimaru’s excitement deepened, but before he could ask more, Mufasa’s piercing stare locked onto him.

"I'm searching for the core secret of chakra."

Orochimaru listened intently as Mufasa continued.

"Chakra originates from Kaguya Otsutsuki, the so-called ‘Mother of Chakra.’ She was the first to wield it. That means her chakra was in its most original, purest form. Yet, over generations, chakra has diminished in power. Excluding prodigies and genetic anomalies, the general trend is clear—each successive generation grows weaker."

Orochimaru nodded, absorbing the theory.

"That contradicts the principles of evolution," Mufasa stated. "Life is meant to adapt, to improve over time. If chakra were a true evolutionary trait, it wouldn’t degrade—it would refine itself. Something is interfering."

Orochimaru was fascinated. "You believe there is a fundamental flaw in how chakra is inherited?"

"Exactly. The Ten-Tails is the fusion of Kaguya and the Divine Tree. The Tailed Beasts were later separated from it by the Sage of Six Paths. That means their chakra is the closest thing we have to Kaguya’s original power."

Mufasa’s voice carried an edge of certainty. "By studying the chakra of the tailed beasts and comparing it to modern shinobi chakra, I can trace the genetic degradation and uncover the truth."

He folded his arms. "If I find the answer, I may surpass Kaguya herself. I won’t need chakra to be handed down—I’ll claim it for myself."

He said it so casually, as if discussing the weather.

Orochimaru was left shaken, his entire understanding of chakra suddenly put into question. He had always seen himself as a seeker of knowledge, but Mufasa—Mufasa was something else entirely. He wasn’t just a scientist or an innovator.

He was aiming to redefine the very foundation of their world.

Orochimaru felt a shiver of excitement. He had spent his life seeking immortality, shedding his skin like a snake to escape death. But Mufasa… Mufasa was reaching for something beyond even that.

He wasn’t just trying to avoid mortality.

He was trying to become a god.

For the first time in a long while, Orochimaru was speechless.

———

This was the difference between the perspectives of men and gods.